a certain
idiom
1
—used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe
She has a certain elegance about her.
The house has a certain charm.
2
formal
—used with the name of a person one does not know
In 1889, a certain Mr. Kelly made a large donation to the church.
Examples of a certain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, a mom could reach out over concerns of her child being unable to walk at a certain age.
—
Lina Ruiz
october 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2025
With a certain commander-in-chief wading back into the Diddy drama this week, the judge has not issued a response to the request as of this morning.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
Li, a writer whose stories are compressed and deceptively simple, spoke with humor and a certain hardness, perhaps born of the clarity of unimaginable loss.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Also included in the cast are comedian Tim Heidecker and French actor Nassim Lyes — for a certain type of gay person (me), the thought of Heidecker acting in a movie with Stewart is like catnip.
—James Factora, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Lina Ruiz
october 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2025
With a certain commander-in-chief wading back into the Diddy drama this week, the judge has not issued a response to the request as of this morning.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
Li, a writer whose stories are compressed and deceptively simple, spoke with humor and a certain hardness, perhaps born of the clarity of unimaginable loss.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Also included in the cast are comedian Tim Heidecker and French actor Nassim Lyes — for a certain type of gay person (me), the thought of Heidecker acting in a movie with Stewart is like catnip.
—James Factora, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
Cite this Entry
“A certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20certain. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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